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User blog:SPARTAN 119/French Revolutionary Militia vs Ikko-ikki Rebel
The French Revolutionary militia, the French citizens who rose up and brought about the end of the French monarchy. VS The Ikko-ikki Rebels, the Japanese peasant rebels who challenged the rule of the samurai. WHO IS DEADLIEST?! =Combatants= French Revolutionary Militia The French Revolutionary Peasants are simply the low-class working force of late 18th-Century France, armed in revolt against the monarchy. They were able to successfully break into armories and steal cutlass swords and muskets (although they were very short on powder) and attacked the French prison known as the Bastille, in order to acquire the powder and munitions they lacked. The peasants even managed to employ several cannon against the walls of the fortress. A bloodbath followed, and the governor of the Bastille was brutalized and decapitated by the mob. The Revolutionary peasants were able to execute their king and queen and ultimately led to the overthrow of the French monarchy. Ikko-Ikki Rebel The Ikko-ikki were a rebel faction in feudal-era Japan, consisting of peasant rebels, Buddhist warrior monks, Shinto priests, and local nobles, all united under the teachings of a Jodo Shinshu or "Pure Land" Buddhism, which stated that all believers are equally blessed by the grace of Amida Buddha. Specifically, the teachings of charismatic Buddhist priest named Rennyo, who preached the antinomian message of the Jodo Shinshu, as well as a message of opposition to the samurai nobility. Rennyo also preached policy of pacifism, though he view defensive warfare as justified and thus fortified his temples, should they come under attack by one of the many warring factions at the time. In 1488, however, in spite of Rennyo's pacifist views, a group of peasant rebels inspired by Rennyo's teachings violently seized of the Kaga province, marking the first time a Japanese province was ruled by commoners. The rebellion continued past the death of Rennyo in 1499. In the 1500s, the Ikko-ikki took control of a number of fortresses and Buddhist temples, eventually controlling major trade routes through Japan, putting them at odds with Oda Nobunaga, who was intent on controlling these trade routes as part of his campaign to unify Japan. In 1564, forces under Tokugawa Ieyasu, future founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, who had recently allied himself with Oda Nobunaga, dealt a severe blow to the Ikko-ikki when he defeated them at the Battle of Azukizaka. The Ikko-ikki, however, remained in existence until the 1580s, and even managed to put up a strong resistance at the Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, holding of an army of Oda samurai for ten years. The rebellion finally ended when the the Ikki allied themselves with Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his war against other groups of Buddhist warrior monks. =Weapons= Daggers Main Gauche (French) The main gauche (French: left hand) dagger is a short dagger held in the left hand, while a rapier is held in the right. The weapon is a double-edged dagger with a wide guard, primarily designed for parrying enemy attacks, however, the main gauche could obviously also be used to attack. The weapon was one of a few different items that could be used as an "off-hand" weapon in Renaissance-era rapier fighting, along with a small shield or buckler, a cloak or cape, which could be used to distract or even thrown over an enemy's face, or even a second rapier. Tanto (Ikki) A Tanto is a Japanese dagger with a blade of about 15-30 centimeters in length. The weapon has a straight, typically single-edged blade with he cutting edge curving up to the point. The weapon was used extensively by the Samurai during the Heian (794-1185 AD) and Kamakura (1185-1333) periods, as well as being carried as a personal defense weapon by civilians. The tanto began to fall out of favor among samurai after the 1300s, being superceded by the longer wakizashi short sword, though tanto would be forged for other purposes. 119's Edge The French Revolutionary's main gauche for its design, which allows it to block attacks. Improvised 1 Axe (French) The term "woodcutting axe" is a general term for any axe designed primarily for cutting or splitting logs. These can include large felling axes used for cutting down trees prior to the widespread use of saws, splitting axes for splitting logs, broad axes for shaping wood, and various other types of axe, which may be single or double bitted. While the woodcutting axe is not intended to be used as a weapon, its ubiquity means it is a commonly used improvised weapon. Nata (Ikki) The nata is a Japanese tool similar in appearance to a meat cleaver, though its use is more similar to that of a machete or a billhook. The nata is used as a general purpose agricultural and outdoor cutting tool used for cutting brush, chopping wood etc, though it can obviously be used as an improvised weapon. 119's Edge The Ikko-ikki's nata for its longer cutting edge. Improvised 2 Whaling Hook (French) The whaling hook refers to a large hook, typically attached to a rope, used to pull in a dead whale. Similar hooks were also used to catch large fish. The hook was about a foot in length, and tipped in a sharp point, easily sharp enough to be used as an improvised weapon. Kama Scythe (Ikki) A kama is a Japanese one-handed scythe with a handle of one to two feet in length, with a blade up to about 8-10 inches in length. While orignially intended for use in harvesting rice, it was frequently used as a weapon, especially by peasant rebels such as the Ikki. 119's Edge The Ikko-Ikki's kama for its cutting edge, making it more versatile. Swords Sabre (French) The saber or sabre is a type of single-edged curved sword often used on horseback. The weapon was widely used by European cavalry in the 16-19th centuries, though its roots date back to Middle-Eastern scimitars and the Turko-Mongol sabre. The weapon was intended to be used in downward slashing attacks from horseback, though it did have a point, and thus, some thrusting ability. Saber designs were used in Eastern Europe from the Middle Ages, first arriving in the hands of Mongol conquerors. Western European armies, however, did not adopt the weapon until the 1600s. The saber would remain the primary melee weapon of the cavalry soldier until the First World War, when cavalry, already fading from prominence with the advent of rifles in the mid 19th century, were rendered completely obsolete by trench warfare and the machine gun. Katana (Ikki) The Katana is a curved, single edged sword originating from Japan, and are one of the nation's most iconic weapons. Originally used by the Samurai of Feudal Japan, the weapon has also come to be commonly known as a "Samurai Sword". The length of the blade is often somewhere between 60 to 73 centimeters in length. The metal of the blade is created from Tamahagane, a hard, high carbon steel for the cutting edge and sides, and the tough, low carbon steel for the core and back, giving the blade a hard edge, while allowing it to absorb blows without shattering. The gentle curvature of the blade adds to the weapons cutting power by focusing the force of the blow on a smaller area. This curve is achieved during quenching: the sword maker coats the blade with several layers of a wet clay slurry, putting a much thinner layer on the front of the blade. When the blade is thrust in water, the front of the blade cools more quickly and hardens, while the slower cooling in the back of the blade reduces lattice strain on the spine, causing the blade to curve backwards. The Katana was not designed at all for penetrating armor. It was designed to make quick and decisive slashes at weak points in armor. Specifically the throat. This required extreme speed and accuacy to wield. And that required an extreme amount of training and discipline to wield. It is generally considered to be one of the greatest sword designs ever. 119's Edge The Ikko-ikki's katana for its sharpness and cutting ability. Close-Range Firearms Flintlock Pistol (French) A flintlock pistol is a handgun that uses the flintlock system of firing. The flintlock mechanism works by using a spring-loaded striker to strike a piece of flint, creating a spark. This spark ignites a small amount of gunpowder in a priming pan, which in turn fires off the main charge. Flintlock pistols were generally carried by officers, cavalry, sailors, and pirates, and others who needed a weapon lighter than a Flintlock Musket. Like all pistols, the flintlock's light weight was the expense of range, though this was especially pronounced with early pistols such as the flintlock, being most effective extreme close or even point blank range. Osutsu (Ikki) The Osutsu was a Japanese matchlock firearm with a short, wide barrel, used in Sengoku or Warring States period Japanese history in mid to late 1500s. The weapon was intended for used in a manner similar to the later European blunderbuss, as an early form of shotgun. The Osutsu could be loaded with a variety of types of ammunition, most typically metal shot or arrows. 119's Edges The Ikko-ikki's Osutsu for its shotgun-like blast, giving it a greater probability of a kill shot. Muskets Charleville 1777 (French) The Charleville 1777 is was an upgrade on an older line of muskets dating back to 1714. The weapon was first standardized infantry firearm of the French Army, being a .69 caliber muzzle loading smoothbore firearm with a maximum range of 100-200 yards, but an effective range of only 50-75 yards, and was not particularly accurate. For this reason, the weapon was usually used in line formations, with multiple soldiers firing large volleys. Tanegashima (Ikki) The tanegashima is a Japanese matchlock musket based on matchlocks introduced by the Portuguese in the mid-1500s. The weapon improved on the the standard matchlock in a number of ways, most notably the addition of a front sight for easier aiming and an optional lacquered wooden box to cover the burning match in the rain, to allow firing in inclement weather. Like the earlier hand cannon, matchlocks such as the tanegashima could be deadly when used in formation with pikemen, as Oda Nobunaga proved when he defeated the elite Takeda Cavalry in Nagashino. 119's Edge The French Charleville had a more reliable flintlock mechanism, however, it only had a front sight, unlike the Tanegashima, which had a rear sight as well, meaning greater accuaracy. Even =X-Factors= Explanations The Ikko-ikki take combat experience and training as they had experienced Buddhist warrior monks and ronin in their ranks as well as armed peasants, whereas the revolutionary militia consisted mostly of armed civilians. The revolutionaries and ikki are even in devotion as, while the ikki were religiously motivated, some in French Revolution took to revolutionary ideals with fervor and fanaticism rivaling any religion. The French take technology- they have more reliable flintlock muskets, as well as brutality, given the sheer amount of violence committed during the "Reign of Terror" following the revoloution. =Battle= French Revolutionary Militia: Ikko-Ikki: Eight French Revolutionary walked across an fallow agricultural field. In the distance was a town with houses that looked unlike the buildings in their native France. The French were wondering where they were, and how they got there. On the other side of the field, they spotted a group of eight Ikko-Ikki rebels (though they obviously had no idea who they were). The lead French Revolutionary saw the odd costumes of the ringleaders- actually ronin and Buddhist warrior monks, and ordered his men to lower their muskets and open fire. The French militia fired a the Ikko-Ikki with their Charlevilles, bullets striking a peasant rebel and a ronin, killing both of them. The Ikki returned fire with their tanegashima muskets, scoring three hits, two to the chest and one to the head, all of them killing their targets. With the French numbers diminished by the hail of musket fire, the Ikko-Ikki ringleader, a Buddhist warrior monk, ordered them to charge, swords and another melee weapons in hand, yelling "Renounce this defiled world and attain the pure land!" and other Buddhist mantras as they charged. As the Ikki charged, the French hand managed to reload their muskets. The leader, yelled "Tirez!"- "Fire!" (If 119 didn't just butcher the French language). The muskets blazed, letting out a flash of fire and a haze of smoke, but only one rebel was hit and killed. The French leader then drew his sabre and yelled "Vive la revolution!" and led the French Revolutionaries out to meet the Ikko-ikki charge. The French leader blocked a strike from a Ikki armed with a kama scythe, and thrust his sword forward, killing his adversary. Meanwhile, an Ikko-ikki peasant rebel who had gotten hold of an osutsu fired, filling a Frenchman's chest with shot, causing him to cough up blood and fall to the ground, dead. . Meanwhile, the Ikko-ikki leader charged forward, katana in hand, and dodged an attack by a Frenchman, who tried to strike him with a whaling hook. The Ikki leader then slashed with his katana, slicing off his head, spraying blood out of the severed neck as the body fell to the ground. A Frenchman raised a Flintlock pistol at a charging Ikki ronin, firing at range of less than three feet, into the man's unarmored neck. The ronin clutched his neck before he fell to his knees, and finally face down, dead. The Frenchman's victory, however, was short-lived- an Ikki rebel charged in, armed with a Nata and took a swing at the Frenchman, who dodged and drew his main gauche. The Ikki swung the nata again. The French militiaman tried to block, but the blade was knocked out of his hand by the heavy nata. A downward strike finished the Frenchman, splitting his skull. Meanwhile, another Ikki rebel faced down a Frenchman armed with an dagger and an axe. The Frenchman disarmed the rebel of his kama scythe with the axe, knocking the scythe out of his attacker's hand by sheer force, then moved in for the kill with the dagger. However, the Ikki evaded the the attack and drew his tanto, thrusting into the Frenchman's chest, killing him. . The Ikki rebel retrieve his kama and turned to attack the French leader, making a wide slash with the scythe. However, the attack was blocked by the Frenchman, who used his main gauche to parry the blow. The Frenchman then counter attacked, thrusting the sabre through the surprised Ikki's chest. The French leader approached the last two Ikki, and motioned for the leader to come out and face him in personal combat. The Ikki leader, a seasoned warrior monk, accepted, ordered his surviving comrade to back away. The Frenchman lunged with his sabre, making a diagonal slash at the Ikki leader, who parried with his katana. The Ikki leader retaliated, slicing at the French commander, who parried with his main gauche and went in for a thrust. The Ikki commander, however, sidestepped the blow and made a powerful two-handed slice with the katana, which completely severed the French leader's head, killing him instantly. The other Ikki rebel joined his commander in prayer after their victory. WINNER: Ikko-Ikki Expert's Opinion While the French had an advantage in technology, they still relied on muzzle-loading black powder firearms, which meant they did not have enough of a technological advantage to over the superior training and combat experience of the Ikko-Ikki. Original battle, weapons, and votes here. TO BE CONTINUED Category:Blog posts